Candidates for 50th District state representative say financial issues loom large

The race for a seat in the General Assembly in the 50th District has incumbent state Rep. Keith Wheeler, R-Oswego, who was first elected in 2014, running against Democratic challenger James Leslie.

Election day is Nov. 6.

Leslie, 41, of Aurora, said the top issues facing the state “are all financial” and that solving those problems will likely eliminate other, less crucial, matters.

“The most important issue is getting a budget in on time and any politician that can’t deliver that isn’t safe,” Leslie said. “We also need to deal with long-term debt, especially the pension issue, and can’t have that debt accumulating.”

Leslie said the pension issue can be addressed by following the language of Article 7 of the state pension code which helps protect against pension theft. He adds the state should follow the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability payment scheme on pensions.

If elected, Leslie hopes to address the issues of school funding, local drug use and maintaining collective bargaining.

“The biggest complaints I heard are about property taxes and we need to examine having a municipal style of taxation for schools,” Leslie said.

As a firefighter, Leslie said he has seen first-hand the large number of drugs and dealers in the area and says they are more prevalent than many think.

Leslie said he is a big proponent of collective bargaining and sees it as a way to maintain a balance between business owners and employees.

“We see collective bargaining under attack, but I feel there is an imbalance without it and we need to keep the conversation going,” he said.

Wheeler, 51, who is seeking his third term, said the state’s biggest issues are job creation, property taxes and “balancing the budget to protect taxpayers.”

“We have to get people working and strike a balance of economic opportunities and the cost of living here,” Wheeler said. “We need to drive up wages as well as give companies a reason to come to Illinois.”

Regarding property taxes, Wheeler said “we need to alleviate the high burden on individual property taxes” and “shore things up” in terms of state funding.

Budget issues need to be addressed by putting an emphasis on “actual, authentic and inclusive budgets that include revenue estimates.”

Wheeler said he wants to focus on local job creation, property taxes and working in Springfield with both parties if he is re-elected.

“There have been three major manufacturing changes here in my district with two plants closing and one being replaced, and I want to help families in the area and advocate for stronger economic tools,” he said.

High property taxes “hurt families and businesses that must share them,” Wheeler said, and education must be funded through other sources including local governments.

A lot of these issues and more need to be tackled “by working with colleagues across the aisle” during the next budget cycle, he said.

“There have been a lot of combative issues raised during my first four years and we need a more collaborative effort to address them,” Wheeler said.